Executive Profiles

Executive Team

Kim Cannon, Managing Director

Kim is founder and Managing Director of Firstmac Limited. He has been in the Australian finance industry for more than 40 years. Kim was a pioneer of non-bank lending in Australia and was one of the leaders that challenged the sector to break the stranglehold of the banks and make home loans more competitive.

Kim is well known for creating innovative financial products to help people meet their goals. As a result, Firstmac is an agile non-bank lender that weathered the GFC and maintains a significant presence in the Australian home lending landscape.

Kim's philosophy that business is built on strong relationships, honesty, and integrity has also helped to make him a respected leader in the financial services sector.

James Austin, Chief Financial Officer

James is the CFO of Firstmac Limited, a role he has held since 2005.

James has built a wealth of knowledge in treasury and capital markets and developed expertise in debt, equity, and derivative markets including issuance, trading, and market risk.

He managed the acquisition and integration of HSBC's $2.2 billion residential mortgage portfolio in 2006, has overseen the issuance of more than $14 billion of RMBS, and has managed Firstmac through volatile global funding markets.

James studied at Queensland University of Technology where he obtained his Bachelor of Business (Accounting). He joined KPMG Brisbane where he attained his ACA qualifications with the Institute of Chartered Accountants. In the early 1990s, James worked for CSFB and Abbey National London in London before returning to Australia to work with HSBC in Sydney. After three years in Sydney, James was promoted to the position of Chief Operating Officer, HSBC Japan, where he stayed for a further six years.

Tracey Boyes, Head of Human Resources

Tracey is the Head of Human Resources for the Firstmac Group, in which capacity she manages all HR disciplines including recruitment, staff retention, employee relations, training and payroll. She is focused on ensuring that there is an integrated human resources approach that supports the overall achievement of Firstmac’s business objectives.

Tracey joined Firstmac in 2005 after migrating from the UK where she had an extensive career in a range of senior HR roles with the Lloyds TSB Group.

Her final years with Lloyds were spent as a HR Business partner covering the Insurance and Investment business. During this period she was responsible for the amalgamation of terms and conditions of employment from different businesses acquired by the group, the introduction of a new performance management system, and the provision of a HR consultancy service to the Directors of the business units.

David Gration, General Manager, Sales and Operations

David joined Firstmac in 2011 as Head of Legal, Risk and Compliance. He currently holds the position of General Manager, Sales and Operations.

David has over 20 years of retail banking experience, including senior management roles at NAB and Suncorp.

David has primary day to day oversight of Retail and Third Party Sales, Sales Support, Contact Centre, IT, Operations, Legal and Collection teams and business functions.

David obtained Law and Science degrees from Monash University and has a Graduate Management Qualification from UNSW. He also has a Diploma in Financial Planning and a Certificate IV in Mortgage Broking.

Julie Sanders, Head of Group Operations

Julie is the Head of Group Operations for the Firstmac, a position she has held since 2011.

In this role she has daily operational oversight for all products, Home Loans, Auto and ABS lending.

She oversees a number of key teams including Loans Processing, Sales Support and Loan Administration.

Julie will soon mark her 20th anniversary with Firstmac, having started work in the Gold Coast office in 1999. During this time, she has worked in a variety of roles throughout the business, including Sales Support, Customer Care, Credit, Loan Administration, Customer Training, IT Development, Business Development Manager and Project Management.

Rod Minell, Executive Director

Rod Minell joined Firstmac in 2004.

Rod has over 25 years investment banking experience. He was previously an executive director of Imagine Group (Australia) Pty Limited, a wholly-owned subsidiary of diversified financial conglomerate, Brookfield Asset Management Canada (NYSE: BAM), which acquired Centre Solutions (Australia) in October 2003.

Rod was managing director of Centre Solutions (Australia) from November 2000. Centre Solutions (Australia) was a provider of high-yield structured finance via subordinated debt, mezzanine equity and structured reinsurance products to large Australian corporates.

Prior to working at Centre Solutions (Australia), Rod worked at ABN AMRO Australia Limited for ten years and was a director and member of its management and credit committees. At ABN AMRO, Rod held positions as head of its corporate and structured finance, financial engineering, capital markets and syndication departments.

Rod is a member of the Council and former deputy chairman of Australian Red Cross NSW. He has been a Director of Firstmac Limited since 11 November 2004.

Marie Mortimer, Managing Director of loans.com.au

Marie Mortimer is the Managing Director of loans.com.au, a role she has held since launching the business in 2011. Marie is also responsible for the Group's Marketing, Product and Business Intelligence functions including all websites and online services.

Marie started her career at Firstmac in 2000, working in hands-on roles in most areas of the business including Loan Administration, Credit, Customer Service, Financial Services, Customer Training and Private Accounts.
In 2006, she left to work for the Royal Bank of Scotland in London for three years, working variously as a Project Manager, Business Analyst and Test Manager, before returning to Firstmac in 2009 to head up the IT Department and join the Executive.

Marie studied at the Queensland University of Technology where she obtained a Bachelor of Business, majoring in Banking and Finance with a funds management extended major, and a Post Graduate Certificate in Property Economics. She also has a Diploma of Financial Planning; and Certificates of Business Analysis and Requirements Engineering. In 2017 and 2018 she was named finalist for the Women in Finance Awards.